Effect of residue management practices on soil moisture dynamics and performance of wheat
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Date
2023
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Punjab Agricultural University
Abstract
The present investigation entitled “Effect of residue management practices on soil moisture dynamics and performance of wheat” was carried out at Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The experiment was implemented in kharif season 2021 after a uniform crop of rice-wheat in 2020-2021. Three crop establishment methods viz. Puddled transplanted rice (PTR), Direct seeded rice (DSR) and Conventional till maize (Maize) in main plots and four residue management scenarios viz. Strip tillage and residue retention using Smart Seeder (ST+R), Zero tillage and residue retention using Happy Seeder (ZT+R), Conventional tillage and Residue incorporation using Mitter Seeder/Super Seeder (CT+I) and Zero till and residue burning after rice and residue removal after maize (ZT-B/RR) in sub-plots were evaluated in a split-plot design with three replications. Recommended practices were used for managing weeds, pests and disease stresses in wheat crop. Results demonstrated that retention and incorporation of residues over burning/removal of residues and crop establishment after PTR and DSR over Maize increased the grain yield, total water productivity, biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake in wheat and decreased total water use. Use of ZT+R after PTR (5.38 t ha-1) led to the highest wheat grain yield, which was attributed to higher average grain weight. Volumetric water content (VWC %) decreased as ZT+R≈ST+R>CT+I>ZT-B/RR and PTR≈DSR>Maize at all depths with more prominent effect up to 30 cm. Evaluation of different machine learning models for estimation of total N, P and K concentration in wheat leaves from hyper-spectral data revealed that nitrogen and potassium concentration was best predicted using Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) model, whereas phosphorous was best predicted using Random Forest (RF) model. Optimum wavelengths for N and K estimation mostly belonged to NIR region whereas for P estimation, it belonged to SWIR region. Stereo-micrographs of aggregates showed slightly darker colour, larger size, more root and straw deposits under residue retention and incorporation than burning/removal.
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Manmeet Singh (2023). Effect of residue management practices on soil moisture dynamics and performance of wheat (Unpublished M.Sc. thesis). Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.